Welcome to 2013 everyone.

Ours has not got off to the best start as the Grandson had a blinding (literally) migraine just after the new year started and then another yesterday evening, poor young man just after his 13th birthday too, this puberty lark is not fun! Also I have just heard today that a friend I have known since I was 6 has succumbed to the cancer that struck her years ago but which had recurred after being in abeyance for many years. So sad for everyone particularly her family that have to deal with their loss. Bless her and them.

 We did however have a lovely New Year's Eve party at the Daughter's with friends and the children around, so that was fun albeit a bit exhausting from the clearing up we had to do to get the house ready, still that is less for the daughter to do later.

 I have been doing lots of knitting as I had several orders for small items like fingerless gloves and have sold quite a lot over the last few months. I have just knitted a hat with earflaps which I plan to line with fleece. I may however do some with and some without and see how they sell at the craft fairs which Mum and I will continue to do. I will need to make more jam and chutney too as although we have no fairs until February Mum is getting a built in oven and new hob and a new sink and worktops done around 23rd Jan, so need to get stuff cooked before just in case I cannot get in the kitchen for a week or 2 (it will probably be done quite quickly but I am not taking any chances in case little things become big!) it will be lovely to have an oven that we don't have to bend down to (and Mum can use as she cannot do the bending and lifting out with the present one) and a new sink that can be cleaned easily without have to use bleach all the time!

There may also be some sewing in the offing which will be a change from the mending and altering that I have done during the last year. 

I have done no blogging for ages so guess I will be an intermittent blogger but who knows I may get inspiration from time to time.

 All in all there is lots to look forward to so watch this space and who knows what you may see

Happy New Year

I wrote a lovely blog over the New Year and it has somehow disappeared in to the ether! I have been busy haviing some new items put into my kitchen over the last week and will endeavour to write about it in my next blog when I have a bit more time.
This blog is a quickly to say I have been following a blog late calledhttp://www.chickenstitches.com/blog which I find interesting it is about a fellow knitter who lives in Israel. she has a bogiversry today and this blog is to celebrate with her. Happy Blogiversary Henka

so short and sweet folks as off to the garden centre with the Mum and the daughter. Hopefully more again soon as I was rather lax latterly last year

I have found it and posted it although I was sure I had posted it when I wrote it.....another senior moment then!

 Well this was a lovely surprise I have been given a beautiful blogger award not ONCE but TWICE!!!!  firstly my lovely daughter http://sutleress.blogspot.co.uk/ and then a special friend of ours (and my honorary no 2 daughter) http://stationery-pigeon.blogspot.co.uk/ I was knocked out by it all.

This was the first I had heard of this award and now need to fulfil the criteria and say 7 things about myself that I haven't already said.

1.  I have said I have a daughter and mentioned her many times, but to me she is not only my daughter but my closest friend and I know we have been through many lives together in various forms and guises. She has been with me through many ups and downs in this present life and I really do not know how I would cope without her.
2.  I love music and to sing although I don't sing as much as I used to. At one time I sang all the time. Luckily I sing tolerably well and having perfect pitch I sing in tune but am not good at singing on my own in public as I forget the words!
3. When I was little my Mum always maintained that I was not shy because I chattered all the time to all and sundry, however as I got older it became a good cover up and when I meet someone new I tend to burble lots. I have absolutely no idea of what I am saying but it is my defence system.
4. What you see is what you get and I try to have no pretence, however it seems that often I come across as more efficient and confident than I really am but I am not sure why, so maybe I do pretend without realising it.
5. I trained for 2 years to be an Occupational Therapist (it was a 3 year course) but was unable to passs my anatomy exam and after 2 attempts gave up.
6. I hope that as I go through this life I can be of help to those I meet along the way.
7. I really do talk a lot of rubbish

so now my nominations

1.  http://sutleress.blogspot.co.uk/ This is of course the daughter as you will know and I chose her for the above reasons and also because she struggles daily with health issues and is brave about it all and is trying so hard to conquer the emotional issues that have arisne from it all. she is an inspiration to us all
2. http://stationery-pigeon.blogspot.co.uk/ This is the other one, she is also an inspiration as she struggles to fight an illness she has had from child hood as you will see if you read her blog. it is a huge undertaking and can only be won a little step at a time (well to us but to her horrendously huge) I admire her guts tremendously
3. http://morgaine-le-fays-textiles.blogspot.co.uk/ A fantastic blog (and friend) about Antique fabrics and other things worthy of any award.
4. http://crystaljigsaw.blogspot.co.uk/ I do not personally know this lady but I love her writing and the way she deals with what life throws at her, and the way she never gives up.
5. http://curiositything.blogspot.co.uk/ another friend but this time a young friend (young enough to be my grandaughter). I like her style of writing and she is a lovedly young lady.
6. http://the-panopticon.blogspot.co.uk/ Again the stylke of writing and the subjects are interesting, I logged onto this through another friend and just like to read it.
7. to be added as I am not following anyone else at the moment.

                                                      This is what to do now:

Put down seven facts about yourself,

You link to the blog of the person who nominated you,

You link to seven bloggers who you think deserve the award,

You let those bloggers know they have been nominated.

 Simple as that. I look forward to reading your facts xx

The weekend just past was the first reenactment of the season for me and mine (but only the daughter came as the grand children were with their fathers) so we went off to Caldicot castle in Wales for the bank holiday. We had a good time meeting up with some old friends and some new. it was a bit watery at times and we ended up packing up in thre rain on Monday and also having to cancel our "Wars of the roses in 20 minutes" as the arena was far too slippery and totally unsafe which was a shame, it had been fun doing it on the Sunday!
Our Group won a prize for the Best Reenactment Group which was fantastic and on sunday evening we went to the castle to have a dance and I had a jive for the first time in about 20 odd years it was fun but breathless!
The drive to and fro went very well and was relatively stressless.
the daughter and I really enjoyed ourselves as we always do when we do reenactment and are looking forward tho the next one which is much more local ie Badlesmere in Kent
Until then a craft fair and more sewing and a museum sponsored walk and goodness knows what else! Busy, Busy, Busy!!!

Keeping Busy

I haven't felt much like blogging the last couple of weeks, but they have been busy none the less, knitting sewing and attending hospital twice in the last week ....not for my self but the grandchildren! The Granddaughter sprained her ankle (again) so there we were at A&E. Luckily it was an xray and all ok but you have to check especially when told "I heard it click" and the ankle is a monstous size and very hot and red!
The Grandson had a proper appointment due to numerous nose bleeds lasting a bit too long for comfort. He had his nose cauterised and now claims it is nowbionic because they use Silver Nitrate  to seal the necessary area.
It is my turn on Wednesday am for the faulty knee, will probably discuss the injection I had last time which was agonising and left me unable to walk for over half a day (not good when you are supposed to go to work!)  It was a pain free couple of months or so afterwards tho I have to say but for 2 months pain free? although I must also say the pain comes and goes in varying degrees so I don't know.

I have started (or should I say restarted) a Landsknecht jacket for one of my reenactment friends and have been discussing style and what to do. The back is done and fine (see abvoe), the front has 3 possibilities so he is having to decide.
To the left is the one discussed today but then I wasn't sure if it looked right. It will be slashed and have colours pulled through the slashing so will not look so plain at the end. to the right was the oroginal ide when discussed quite a while ago. to open down the side and again have slashing

this is the third, diagonal sripes one side and straight stripes the other again it will be slashed with colour pulled through (to be decided) the sleeves are still to be discussed whether to keep to the original idea of alter it.
It is an interesting project and is keeping me occupied.

                             Watch This Space

This weekend ws an ok weekend. We had a Craft Fair on Saturday at St Barnabus Church, (we being myself, the Mother and the Crafty Claires) and it went well. We sold a fair few jams,and chutneys and some knitted bits and the Crafty Claires sold some cards and other bits. We got our table money and a bit over and that is fine by us.
On Sunday I did some potting on in the garden, it was a bit chilly but nice to be outside. I potted on tomatoes, cucumbers, and red and yellow peppers, split and planted out some carnations and potted on some carnation cuttings that I had taken from some pretty cut flowers that we had, I cannot remember the colour though so it will be a surprise if and when they bloom. In the evenings on both days I knitted accompanied by the tv and the Mother. it is amazing how the kniiting grows when watching tv. However I really must get some sewing done too.

Every school holiday a friend and I make sure we go out together either for the day or an afternoon. We both lead similar busy lives, we work at a residential special needs school but this year on different living houses so we don't see each other at work much, maybe for 5 mins during the week. We both live with our elderley mothers and we both have children and grandchildren, I have a daughter who is not so well and she has a daughter-in-law who suffered a very serious brain tumour and although is ok now, well who knows what the future holds.
So a couple of days ago it was lovely and sunny so we went to visit Pashley Manor Gardens in Ticehurst
http://pashleymanorgardens This is the front of  the house which has a Tudor Facade.

Front of the house.

There has been a house there since the 1200's but this  is from the 1500's, however as it is a

Rear of the house.

family home it is not open to the public, but the gardens are beautiful and well worth a visit or several.
  The garden lies ammongst some of the rolling countryside on the Kent/Sussex Border and the vistas are
wonderful. There is also a lot of statuary and wood carvings and as you walk throught the different areas you suddenly come across them and I went a bit mad photographing lots of the wooden faces, If you would like to see all the photos I took please feel free to look on my Flickr page. http://www.flickr.com/photos/14732552@N03/sets/72157629434579060/
To the left is one of the first statues we saw (apart from the one coming down the drive and I was so surprised because it is different and so full of life To the right is a sample of the carved faces. this is probably not the best, but I liked it because it reminds me of the old fashioned pictures of the wind blowing. Below is a picture of a black swan which we saw to our great surprise as we walked aound one of the lakes.
Later we saw another and under the foliage at the edge of the lake first one and then another cygnet.I have never see black swans before and we heard the (we assumed) mother calling too.
All in all we had a lovely time pottering in the sunshine and they have a nice cafe where the cakes are huge! It doesn't come any better.